Electrical flashing device



Aug. 16, 1938. H. E. NICHOLS El AL 2,127,005

ELECTRICAL FLASHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1954 Patented Aug; 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATEN'i OFFICE Application October 22, 1934, Serial No. 749,370

1 Claim.

The invention of this application relates to electrical flashing devices, and more particularly to such devices wherein the flashing means is in the nature of a glow discharge tube or lamp.

It is an object of the invention to provide in a glow discharge lamp flashing circuit, means for preventing a continuous or hang over discharge through the lamp which would seriously interfere with or perhaps completely eliminate proper flashing of the lamp.

Other objects of the invention will readily be understood upon reference to the appended detailed description of the drawing in which an embodiment of the invention is disclosed. In this drawing:

The figure shows a simple mono-tube flashing circuit providediwith means for preventing continuous or hangover discharge through the lamp.

In this figure, a condenser charging circuit is shown as including a battery l6 having leads Ila. and Nb connected by a power resistance 18 and a power condenser I9. Interposed in the charging circuit is the secondary coil of a transformer whose primary coil is referenced 2|, and whose core is referenced 22, the condenser being connected to the interconnected transformer coils at the tap 23.

The discharging circuit for the condenser I! includes the transformer primary coil 2i and a glow discharge lamp 24 as indicated.

The operation of this circuit is as follows:

When the condenser discharges through the primary 2| and the lamp 24, there is induced through the transformer core 22 a potential across the secondary, which enhances the battery potential and increases the potential of the charging circuit.

When the condenser l9 discharges through the primary 2| and the lamp 24, its discharge produces at first a rapidly increasing current through the discharging circuit and thereafter a rapidly decreasing current through the discharging circuit. During the time that the discharging current is rapidly increasing in value, there is induced across the transformer secondary a potential which adds tothe battery potential and thus increases the potential ofthe charging circuit. However, during the interval when the condenser be an inductance or the like.

discharging current is rapidly decreasing in value, the potential that is induced in the trans former secondary no longer enhances the battery potential but opposes it because it is in an opposite direction. This cuts down the poten- 5 tial across the lamp 24 and insures the cutting off of discharge through that lamp. Accordingly, this action prevents there being a continuous or hangover discharge through that lamp.

In order to understand how the increase in cur- 10 rent and the subsequent decrease in current through the primary 2i on condenser discharge will induce in the secondary 20 a voltage which first enhances that of the battery and later opposes that of the battery, it must be observed 16 that the discharging current, in the primary is an oscillating current, and like any other oscillating current will induce an oscillating current or potential in the secondary.

If desired, the coil 20 may be omitted in which 20 case the coil 2| and its core 22 interposed in 4 the lamp circuit is merely an inductance, which functions as a means which ultimately opposes the. potential which sustains discharge through the lamp; in other words, a means whereby Lhe 25 potential across the lamp is reduced to a point insuiilcient to sustain a current through the lamp. Such .a means functions to insure completely satisfactory and insured performance to the flasher in whose circuit the means is incorporated by eliminating the'usually ever present possibility of hangover discharge. While the means is shown as a transformer primary, it might well We claim:

. A- signal flasher device comprising a source of illumination in the form of a glow discharge lampja' power resistance, 'a source of constant potential, a power'condenser, and a transformer, the condenser being connected through the re- 40 sistance'and one coil of the transformer to the source of constant potential for charging and means for connecting said condenser to discharge through the lamp and the other coil of the transformer.

' HORACE E. NICHOLS.

RICHARD C. SCOTT. 

